


Perseverance and Compassion

by Nybjams



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Lyrium Withdrawal, Rite of Tranquility
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-30
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-04-06 21:36:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4237527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nybjams/pseuds/Nybjams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the depths of his lyrium withdrawal Cullen runs into someone from his past. Someone he had not thought he would see again.</p>
<p>Inspired by http://gemwillyart.tumblr.com/post/115886780880/mmmmwhoops-looks-like-iamupset-and-lil-hawke-are</p>
<p>More characters will be added as this moves along.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Perseverance and Compassion

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so I should preface this story with a few things.
> 
> I do plan on giving this story a coherent series to fit around it. So this story does kinda rely on information which the series would give but since the series doesn't yet exist I will have to fill in here. So the Warden in this world state is one Melissa Cousland. This means if you clicked here because you saw Female Amell in the character tags. I'm sorry it doesn't start well for her and will be covering worse parts of her life before it ends. This sort of thing happens when Duncan goes to Highever instead of the mage tower.
> 
> The Inquisitor who is more mentioned than appears in this chapter is Daenerys Trevelyan or Dany for short. (Yes that is Daenerys as in the game of thrones one, Someone on the DA subreddit posted some sliders which looked somewhat like her a couple of days before I started my 2nd playthrough so I tweaked the sliders a bit and ran with her. She will be referred to as Dany overwhelmingly more than Daenerys because I get paranoid that I spell that wrong every time I type it out). As of this story's start Dany and Cullen have established a relationship so I will get back to that at some later point when I am writing out the rest of the series.

The town of Larksong had grown out around Skyhold almost as soon as they had arrived there. Haven might not have been a big village, but it had been overflowing with people when the Inquisition fled. Skyhold was bigger but it had not nearly enough room to house everyone in even a semi-permanent manner. So while Skyhold was filled with people, many more had pitched their tents around its walls and it had grown into a ramshackle village. It had been many months since then and the tents now sprawled across the mountain slope and wooden buildings had stated to replace some of them.

 

Cullen's duties mainly kept him in Skyhold itself, overseeing the orders of the Inquisition's forces from his office on the battlements or giving the week's training instructions to the Lieutenants and Sergeants in the courtyard. But he maintained a habit of overseeing the condition of his recruits and their training at the outskirts of Larksong at least one day each week. This week they had been training for fighting against red templar horrors which had forced Cullen to defer to Blackwall and Bull's experience and techniques and left him less capable than usual to correct the mistakes of his recruits. After a morning of giving recruits one bit of advice only to have it overturned by Bull, he had given up on overseeing the training and was instead inspecting his soldiers equipment.

 

"We can't fight those creatures like this, Commander." Some lieutenant of his was berating him about the tactics Bull had been teaching the men. "We had men from Haven who suffered what appeared to be only minor scratches from them but nearly every one died from complications because of the lyrium. We need more mage healers, Commander."

 

Cullen sighed. Dany had left to Caer Oswin last week with the most friendly members of her companions, his own lyrium problems were giving him a headache, it had all taken a toll on his mood and he was doing his darnedest not to snap at the man because of it.

"We can't get more mage healers. We have every mage that is willing, able and in lands under the Sunburst throne helping us. And out of them we've tasked everyone with the slightest aptitude for creation magic with healing." Cullen paused, the man _had_ raised a valid point though, red lyrium wounds were almost infinitely complicated to treat without magic. "Dagna was saying that some runes seem to reduce the potency of the lyrium, I'll see about getting some made and issued to the soldiers"

 

Having made his decision, Cullen dismissed the lieutenant and went to find the forge. Larksong’s forge was much bigger than Skyhold’s undercroft. Mainly because it was heavily manned to keep up with the demands for new steel. Rows upon rows of anvils lined huge linear furnaces with many other tables set up for maintaining and repairing lighter armour that passed through. At the far end of the room, several of Grand Enchanter Fiona’s tranquil put enchantments on anything that was brought to them. Cullen made a beeline for the enchantment tables. The scent of lyrium pierced through the smoke and sweat which hung in a haze over the forge.

“Commander, is there something we can do for you?” One of the tranquil was looking expectantly at Cullen for the request he would make.

Cullen started to breathe heavily, his ears had started ringing and his eyes were watering from the lyrium fumes. With much effort he began to speak. “I want you to make cleansing runes and enchant the soldiers’ armour with them.”

“How many runes, Commander?”

Cullen turned to face the voice. Before him stood a woman, she came up to just below his eyes in height and had long dark hair which was nearly directed down her back by two braids which intertwined in the middle. She had deep brown eyes and was wearing a long blue circle robe.

He thought he saw a ghost; Solona Amell.

Cullen’s throat tightened and black dots appeared in his vision. Without saying a word he all but dashed out of the building and fell to all fours in the snow. Breathe, Cullen. He repeated that to himself in his mind. After a few long and forced breaths the dots faded and he stood up, turned for Skyhold and did not look back until he was inside the castle gates.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Cullen awoke before dawn the next day. He had started to dream of Kinloch again which he knew would give him two or three nights of pleasant dreams before he would reach the circle falling and his nightmares would start in earnest again. He got up and looked across the courtyard from his window before dressing. The stables contained Dany’s barded charger again. His mind stopped, did he miss them coming back yesterday? A heavy sigh escaped Cullen’s lips, he was not looking forward to what he had to do, but after his show yesterday he vowed to see Cassandra when she returned.

Once he had dressed, Cullen walked over to the armoury and waited there until Cassandra descended on her way to breakfast.

“Commander, to what do I owe the pleasure?” the Seeker asked wearily.

“I want you to suggest a replacement for me.” Cullen replied, straight to the point and in a very matter of fact voice.

Cassandra’s face dropped. “I don’t think that is necessary, Commander.” She tried to push past him into the courtyard only to be stopped by his hand grasping on her shoulder. She turned back to him and he released his hand.

“Seeker, you promised that you would be prepared for this.” He unbuckled his scabbard from his belt. “I want you to relieve me of my duties as commander of the Inquisition.”

“You asked for my opinion and I’ve given it. Why would you expect it to change?” Cassandra was firm in her voice but did her best not to raise it.

“I expected you to keep your word” Cullen dropped his sword and scabbard onto the table with a thunk. “Its relentless like you couldn’t understand. I can’t lead like… If I can’t fulfil my vows then nothing good has come of this. I’ll be a liability to-”

The door swung open and Dany stood in the threshold. Cullen closed his eyes and exhaled. He’d hoped to not do this in front of her, he’d hoped to never be like this in front of her. He ran his hands down his face and turned to leave.

“I’m sorry for this.” Cullen walked out into the courtyard and slunk back to his office.

 

**Author's Note:**

> No she isn't an actual ghost. He just didn't know she survived the broken circle.
> 
> Next chapter will have the other half of the perseverance quest, so more Dany (I should do a proper introduction to her at some stage so that will be included). Probably include Cole and will also begin to cover the story of Cullen at Kinloch Hold from a couple of years before the blight.
> 
> So this is my first work of DA fanfiction so feedback is very much appreciated. Tell me if it needs more/less of anything, what works well and what needs improvement.


End file.
